Gemma Finds Kartic Part 1 : America
by Underworld's Darkest Rose
Summary: Gemma reaches America to start her new life. But then she runs into a friend, or should I say, ex-boyfriend? What will happen to Gemma on her quest to start over?
1. Chapter 1

I moved along the new city streets with care. I had heard of the terrible crimes that had been done here only days ago. My ship was swarming with new people, ones I had never met, and never will. I had sailed all the way from England to here, America. The small village smelled badly of the sea and rotting fish in markets. I had already gotten enough of that lately.

My copper hair was whipped wildly around my face when the chilly wind blew through the houses that lined the village like a wall. This would be my first night, the hardest night, of my entire new life now. Would America be a good place for me? Would I have to go back to England any time soon? Probably not. The worst thing that could happen is I could die. Well…no, dying would not be the worst thing ever for me. The worst thing on the planet had already happened to me. And I was still living through it, but only for him. Only because he would have wanted me to live.

My heart stung as I thought of him. Kartik, the only man I had truly loved. Sometimes, I heard him in my thoughts. Sometimes, I saw him in new visions, happy ones. And the best part of all was, he was still alive, somewhere in the Tree. His voice still came to me in dreams. I could see him, hear him. I could feel him. I knew he was the only thing that stopped me from jumping off of a bridge, or locking myself in a metal box to die.

If only he had lived. If only he had not given himself up to that greedy tree. But it was over. I was positive he would not come back anytime soon.

"Gemma Doyle! What a surprise." A low pitched voice said. I turned around and nearly had a heart attack. Two feet away from me stood Simon! He must have come here for his marriage! I smiled a bit.

"Hello, Simon, it's great to see you here, after so long." I managed the words. They came with difficulty though. Simon strode up to me. He seemed to be taller than the last time I saw him. But why would a grown man grow longer?

"You simply must visit our house. Now wait a second, you still have your bags! You must have just gotten here!" Simon said, his tone was not as formal as mine was. I think we both knew why.

"Yes, I have just gotten here." I said, venom twined in my words. Simon reached out to take the three overflowing bags I had.

"You must stay at our new Inn then! It's only one fence away from my mansion." He said. He snapped the bags out of my hands and started to walk in the direction of an enormous house, away from the village, but easy to see. It was one out of two large buildings in a long field of green grass and neatly trimmed bushes.

"Alright then, this is your room. I hope you find everything that you need in there. I'll see you at dinner tomorrow." Simon said. I had visited his house for a few hours, not willingly. Then he had dropped me outside of my room in his fabulously designed Inn. I unlocked the door with a key he had given me.

The room was splendid. The tables were made of a very dark, expensive type of wood I couldn't seem to name. The bed's covers were blue with intricate patterns on it. the curtains matched. All in all, it was perfect for me. It was only missing one thing. The person I loved, Kartik. If he was here, I actually never would have come here to America. But if he had come here, then it would have been a great place to stay.

It was night now. I had spent the last half and hour thinking of Kartik. But now I decided it was time to sleep. I slipped into the Inn bed. It was not as comfortable as I'd thought it would be. But it was alright. I forced my eyes closed. But when I did, I saw Kartik. My eyes flung open again.

"Gemma, are you alright?" The voice I'd yearned to hear asked me. I shook my head. Was I insane? I sat up in my bed, causing some bones in my back to crack.

"Here, I'll got you some warm milk. It usually helps me sleep faster." I heard his voice somewhere near me, but it was as dark as a moonless night. I heard the clang of a cup hitting the bedside table. I cringed. I really was insane!

"Are you mad at me?" Kartik asked me. I heard his voice right beside me this time. I extended my hand to see if he was really there in the darkness. I screamed when my hand hit something that felt like flesh.

"What's wrong?" He asked me. My hand reached for a gas lamp. I lit it up. The light bounced off the walls and then illuminated the figure next to me. It was him, the same dark, thoughtful eyes. The same curly black hair. The perfectly curved lips. He smiled at me.

"Kartik, is that really you?" I stammered. My heart accelerated. He nodded. His hand rested on mine.

"But how-?" I asked, unable to finish the question. His lips were already on mine. But he quickly withdrew them.

"Well, I did what no one has ever done before. I called all of the lost souls in the tree, and we did it! We cut the tree from within. I let the souls go free. But I found my body and came back! I came for you." He whispered enthusiastically. My heart leaped. Now my world had changed for the good! In my happiness, I kissed Kartik again. Feeling warm and cozy with him here. It filled up the empty darkness in my mind and the room.

"Never leave me again!" I whispered. I snuggled closer to him. And he held me tightly against his chest. He smelled like jasmine flowers from India. It reminded me of my mother and father in the old days. So much happiness had been lost since then.

"I will never leave you, I promise. But you're going to have to do something for me first." He smiled. I laid my head against his strong chest.

"You will come with me to India. We can go to a city, or we can live in a village! Whatever you like! And there, we can get married! Just like the marriage you saw in your vision!" Kartik explained. I looked up into his deep eyes.

"Of course, Kartik! I'd love to! We should go soon. Let's leave tonight. No one will know. They all think you are dead, especially Simon. He came extra happy to the funeral! And only Felicity and Ann will know!" I said, nearly jumping in excitement. He laughed.

"Exactly." He said. Then I jumped out of the bed. I picked up all of my bags. Kartik hurried after me. I flung myself out the door. Kartik and I sped down the stairs and out the main door, luckily, the guards were sleeping. We ran through the town. Kartik led me to one of the loading boats. He blended in with the moving crowd. And he motioned for me to do the same. I moved through the bustling crowds with him.

I was in India now. The journey from America to India had seemed very short with Kartik there with me. The days flew by. Some, we spent talking. Some days we spent watching the water flow past us. But most days, we spent together, in our bed at sea. We would let our yearnings take control of our minds and loose ourselves in doing so.

Kartik and I were going to get married soon. And it would be a quiet marriage. Nothing big. But just perfect for us. Soon, my greatest vision would be complete.


	2. Gemma and Kartik's wedding

Kartik opens the door to my new home for me. I gasp in surprise. It is big, not too big, but big enough for me. There are a million different flowers everywhere. The walls are white, like the outside of the house. The garden stretches over a long acre or so. And nearby is a lovely town. And not too far from the town is Mumbai, a very modern city. Kartik had chosen the best of all homes for me.

"Kartik, it's beautiful! Look, the fountain is just like the one at Spence Academy! And the pillars make it all look like a palace. It's perfect for you and I." I smiled brightly at Kartik. Kartik slid his hand from my shoulder to my waist.

"Perfect because you are." He said warmly. He pulled me in close. He led me inside, where everything was already in place. He tilted my head upwards. I smiled. The ceiling had a long chandelier hanging down from it. the crystal designs hung right above where I was standing.

"Thank you, Kartik." I said. And I really meant it. He sat me down on one of the large sofas.

"So, about our wedding, I was thinking we should have it in an Indian temple maybe, or an old castle!" Kartik said, his voice was filled with pleasure. I knew how much getting married to me meant to him.

"I think we should get married at an Indian temple, one of Lord Shiva, I believe shall be nice. Since his symbol is the snake, that kind of goes along with the realms, don't you think?" I asked. He laughed.

"Intelligent, yes it does go with the realms." Kartik sighed. I could hint some kind of regret in his voice. He stared up at me with an expression I couldn't read. My eyes asked my question for me.

"Being wed to you will cause many problems for me, Gemma. People don't like it here. They think I should have gotten married to a merchant's girl a long time ago. But I said no, of course. They will definitely hate us both now for this." He said, regret was deep in his tone now. I squeezed his hand. And as much as I hated saying this, I said it.

"You don't have to get married to me. You can still marry an Indian girl. One who has great hair and eyes, and can sing like a bird." I laughed, but it wasn't a real laugh, it was obviously too fake. His hands brushed my cheek.

"Gemma, I want to marry you and only you. I love you, nobody can change that. Not even a beautiful singer or a billionaire!" Kartik said very seriously. He was being overprotective about my feelings again.

"Then we can fight off the angry people together. We can make every day a good one together. No matter what differences come in our way. All that matters is I love you, and you love me. We are still people, and that fact is our greatest ally." I said in a low but fierce tone. I was surprised to hear such wisdom come out of my mouth, but liked how I said it.

Today was the wedding. Only our closest friends were here. We were in a very large temple of Shiva. It was decorated in flowers and petals of all sorts. Felicity was here in her finest gown. She had come all the way from Paris just for me. And Ann had taken a break from her acting to come down to see me. She looked beautiful. She glowed with her happiness. And Father was here, so was Tom. And some of Kartik's relatives and people from the Rakshana.

And now the wedding had begun. I sat around a holy fire, I was in a traditional Indian wedding dress. It was long and scarlet red. It had little silver designs that sparkled in the sun. The scarf that I took over my head matched the dress. My hands had been designed with henna. The flower patterns made my hands look like they did from my vision. I was wearing tons of makeup, and all of it made me look like a pretty Indian bride. The flowers in my hair had a very light fragrance to them.

All of my friends were wearing Indian dresses too, they had tried some on and thought about selling them in Paris. I was glad they liked all of this and approved of it.

The wedding was soon over. The flower girls had finally stopped the rain of petals that fell upon us all. I finally turned to say goodbye to my friends and family, not permanently though.

"Goodbye Tom, I'll miss you. I'll visit you in the winter, Dad." I said, hugging them both lightly. I was proud to say that my dad had grown strong once more. Still an opium addict, but he has had less ever since I found him in the den that day months ago. He had probably felt terrible that I had seen him in such a condition. And now he tried to resolve his addiction because of me. In a way, I didn't care whether he endangered his life again by the poison. It would be better for him to do as he wished. Not listen to me because of embarrassment.

"You'll be happy, I know you will." Tom said, and for once, his voice was truthful and caring. He squeezed my hand. Then he patted my back and gave Father room to talk to me. Father hung his head.

"Gemma, I'm truly sorry for whatever I have done in the past. I'm ever so sorry, really I am. And if I have caused you any worry-" He said, but was able to finish without sniffles. I took his sweaty hand and held it there.

"Dad…You have worried me everyday of my life. Ever since Mom left. I care about you Dad, I really do. I don't want to loose you like Mom. But this is your life. You can go back to your addictions if it truly helps you. I can see what a wrecking temptation it creates whenever you even think about it. And don't be sorry. All daughters worry about their fragile Dads! I love you." I said. I was glad that was over with. The skinny man who was my father was not a sight I wanted to remember. What I did want to remember was the full person that used to be Dad. The one who went on adventures. And then come home and tell his tales with more power than any storyteller. The Dad who used to create wonderful tales in my head. Ones of tigers and ancient temples. But that man no longer existed.

"I love you too, my gem. More than you ever realized." He said. He and Tom then turned, leaving me. They were to go back to England in a half hour. Now I went to Felicity and Ann. They were very excited.

"Wow! Your wedding was so exotic! I loved it. But you have to promise me one thing, Gemma. You will come to at least one of my shows right?" Ann asked me. She was clinging to my side. As if she couldn't bear leaving me. I laughed.

"Of course I'll come! I'll come this year maybe, or the next. But I will come. And I'll see you too, Fee." I said. Felicity smiled at me.

"I'll miss you so much! I hope your happy here. I don't have to hope actually, I know you will be." Felicity said then she surprisingly hugged me. I thought I saw a hint of a tear on her cheek. But it was gone just as fast as it came.

"You're not crying are you?" I asked, jokingly. Felicity dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.

"No…Alright, I am. But only because I can't believe it's all over. All of our realms and adventures. They're all over! We'll barley be together. And Pippa, I can't help but cry every night about what happened to her. Especially because of my…Feelings for her." Felicity whispered the last part. I patted her back.

"It's all right. I heard there are more of your type in Paris." Ann said, trying to assure her. felicity managed a smile from her stream of tears now.

"Oh I know." She said, getting her spirit back. Then she suddenly jumped straight.

"Oh my! Ann, our train leaves in ten minutes!" She cried. This alarmed the others about their train rides back. Suddenly, we were getting rushed goodbyes. We did our best to be sad about their leaving.

"Alone at last." Kartik sighed as we entered our house. He wisped me into his arms and kissed my forehead. Then he carried me to our bedroom. I hadn't noticed, but the wedding had taken absolutely all day! It was very dark outside. But the lights shone brightly, making the house feel like it was still day. Kartik threw me onto the bed.

Then he crawled up to me. I pulled him close to me. I traced his lips with my fingers. Then I pulled him even closer for a kiss. His lips moved with mine. It was a long kiss. I wasn't able to breathe after a while. I gasped for breath. There wasn't a part of my body now that wasn't in contact with his. Even he panted, his wide chest moving in and out evenly.

"I love you. Too much for words." He said. He stroked my hair elegantly. I curled my fingers into his thick hair. It was softer than usual. In fact, something did not seem to be normal, not about Kartik at all, but about me. There was a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. The feeling sparked. It was definitely magic!

Somehow an hour had passed and I had been dizzy with Kartik's sweet scent. The moon was slowly rising. Kartik had left to set up some special marriage surprise for me. I stood by the window, staring at the full moon. It sort of drew me in. I walked towards it slowly.

I opened the door and went outside to the porch. I could hear faint footsteps! I walked down the dirt path, towards the footsteps. Could this be something from the realms? Maybe!

"Congratulations, Gemma." A sweet, but low voice called. I gasped in pain. Something was slicing through me! I didn't even have time to notice that Pippa stood, towering over me as I lay writhing on the ground.

"Pippa." I managed to gasp. She laughed at my attempt. The slicing stopped. But only because Kartik was behind me, his hand pointed at Pippa as if they both had magic and were fighting with it.

"What is going on?" I asked, glaring at my former best friend. She grinned a devious grin that showed her perfectly shiny, sharp teeth. Her once violet eyes were milky and evil like the Winterlands again. Her eyes drifted to the full moon.

"It's simple to guess what is going on, Gemma. Kartik got out of the realms, so did I. You forgot to seal the most important escape from the realms. You forgot to seal the moon, Gemma. An exit you had never known about." She laughed sharply. Just with her eyes, she flung Kartik out of the way. She now stared at me. I felt sharp pain once again, but this time, it wasn't slicing. It was taking my soul away…


	3. Gemma's Nightmare

"Kartik, don't you dare leave me now

"Kartik, don't you dare leave me now!" I screamed at Kartik and clung to his chest tighter than before. Kartik glanced behind him and gasped.

"I won't leave you, I promise." Kartik said shortly after his gasp. I heard Pippa's screeches, but even louder than that were the terrorizing screams of the town's people. I closed my eyes, hoping this evil dream would go scare some other person.

"Gemma?! Please get up!" Kartik shouted at me. I opened my eyes. I gasped, I was in our house! Was it a dream? No, it was a vision. I sat up, only to find that I was wet.

"You started to cry in the middle of the night, Gemma, why?" Kartik asked me, worried. I shook my head.

"Pippa's coming to get us both, Kartik! And the moon, it's a secret exit from the realms!" I babbled. Kartik's eyes clouded in confusion. I looked down at my tear stained dress. I would have to change out of it soon.

"It's alright, Gemma. It was only a dream. Nothing can get you!" Kartik smiled.

"Come on, let's go get you something to eat, it helps you think clearly." Kartik ordered gently. I nodded and followed him to the kitchen. He handed me some water and a large plate of rice and chicken.

"Umm, wouldn't some soup be better or something?" I asked wearily. Kartik shook his head.

"No, this is actually better for you at night, my brother told me." Kartik explained. I sighed, but dug in. The vision had made me tired and hungry.

"Kartik, if you die in the realms, you die forever, right?" I asked, trying to be casual. Kartik raised his eyebrows.

"No, you go to the Winterlands. But a special place in them. Like a prison. If you want to know if Pippa's spirit is still alive, then the answer is yes. Yes her spirit is alive. But it isn't really her anymore. Now it is just a brainless ghost. Stop worrying. She made her choice." Kartik said the last part venomously. I nodded as I swallowed my food. It really was calming me down.

"So she doesn't remember me?" I asked. Kartik froze.

"Well, umm, I really don't know. Maybe. I haven't seen the place for myself, you know. I can't know for sure." He said unsurely.

"She remembers, doesn't she?" I asked, my voice went flat with defeat.

"Yeah, sorry Gemma." Kartik smiled sadly. I turned away from him to put my plate in the sink. The dishes were piling, but they would have to wait until tomorrow.

"You don't think she could track us down, do you? Would her soul be powerful enough?" I asked.

"Of course she course she could track us down! The Winterland creatures have immense power, enough to destroy the mortal world…Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Gemma." Kartik said at the end of his explaination, taking in my scared, white face. It felt like my brain wasn't getting any blood anymore. I slapped my hand to my head.

"Looks like I'm a better storyteller than I thought." Kartik muttered as he picked me up. He was taking me to bed probably. But that was where I didn't want to go.


	4. Pippa's revenge part 1

As much as I didn't want to go back to sleep, I was unconscious before I even reached the bed

As much as I didn't want to go back to sleep, I was unconscious before I even reached the bed. I heard Kartik's blurred laugh. I knew I was slipping into sleep, slowly.

That's exactly when a nightmare hit me. I was completely paralyzed in the real world. But inside of me I was screaming. Pippa was coming, she remembered me! But she didn't remember all the good times we had together, she remembered the bad. Like how I couldn't help her cross over, or how I was hesitant to give her the temple magic. She didn't remember how I helped her get out of the murky lake, or how we used to play childish games at Spence. She didn't remember how much I'd cried over her, or how sad I felt when she turned on us all.

"You deserve to die!" Pippa's voice thundered in my head over and over. Each time it grew louder. Like a roaring waterfall that runs for eternity.

"Leave me alone!" I cried. I was suddenly in a boat. No, it was the Gorgan! She was protecting me from the water nymphs!

"Stay away from them! No Gemma! You must not give in to them! Come back!" The Gorgan yelled at me through her rough rasp of a voice.

"Gorgon, what's happening?" I screamed as I unwillingly slid into the warm water with the nymphs. Nearby I saw Anne floating in the water. I swam to her. Her skin had been ripped off. And I realized that her eyes were the milky white of the Winterlands.

"Gemma! Don't leave me here to die! Save me! Don't let Song die! I don't want to die, Gemma! Help me!" Anne screamed at me. Though we were drowning in water, her voice was crystal clear, and that bothered me. I tried to swim away, but I couldn't! The surface kept moving away from me! I really was sinking. The water was filled with the water nymphs. One looked like Felicity.

"My affections are not normal, Gemma. I hear there are many more like me in Paris…" She said. The words she said were actual things she had said to me at Spence. The Felicity Nymph circled around me, not helping me escape, but only watching me drown.

"Felicity! Come here! Look, I am Queen of the realms! Eat the berries, Fee!" Pippa skipped across the surface, her feet did not break the surface tension, they stayed afloat. Pippa was gorgeous again, she wore the cape Felicity had given her so long ago.

"Pippa!" I cried in horror as she turned into a large monster. But the monster was beautiful. It had Pippa's curly hair and fair skin. It's teeth were gothic and jagged but still pretty in a scary way.

"Gemma!"

"Gemma!"

"Gemma!"

"Over here, Gemma!"

"Look at me!"

"I hear screams!" I saw the factory girls spinning under the water. Then the magic creatures of the realms appeared.

"Kill her." A beautiful purple centaur ordered. I was in the forest now. My hands and feet were bound behind me. Someone cracked a whip at me.

"No! Please, stop!" I cried as my own blood filled my vision. All I could see was red! Red everywhere. I shook my head trying to take away the blood. It worked, but then I regretted it. I saw the Winterland Army of the Dead. I saw the Poppy Warriors. They laughed when they saw me tied up and bleeding. My eyes wandered to Kartik's older brother. I gasped. He was the one laughing the most. I heard the loudest and most wicked laugh come from behind me. I craned my neck to see who it was that enjoyed my misery.

"You deserve this, Gemma. You coward." Pippa laughed. Her ghost glided over to me. Then she entered me! Her spirit was inside of me!

"No! Pippa, Please! Get out!" I writhed. But it only made me bleed more. I could feel Pippa's head in mine, her arms taking control of mine. I was pushed aside in the back of my own mind.

"Let me go now. She's all mine." Pippa ordered. The Poppy Warriors bowed and cut me, or Pippa now, loose.

"Bow down to your knew ruler! Queen Pippa! I rule the realms! I rule the Winterlands! I hold the power!" Pippa screeched, or rather, her voice came out of my mouth and I screeched.


	5. Is it honeymoon time already?

"Gemma

"Gemma? You've been asleep for twelve hours now, wake up." Kartik shook me gently. I shook my head in confusion. Had I done it? Yes. I was in Gemma's body. I could hear her trying to get rid of me inside my head. Pathetic.

"Of course, Kartik. I'm awake now." I smiled at him. I hoped Gemma's, or my, eyes didn't give away too much. Kartik was puzzled by my extra good behavior. It must have looked fishy. So I roughened my voice a little and groaned.

"My back hurts. I wonder why." I accused. Kartik laughed.

"For a second I thought you were someone else." Kartik grinned and helped me up. My gown was nearly soaked in sweat.

"I'm going to take a bath." I muttered. Kartik let me go and started cooking breakfast.

Gemma was not the prettiest person I had ever seen. Especially not the prettiest body at least. I preferred my own perfect body, but oh well. I, Pippa, looked around for any type of soap from England. But there was none. There was only coconut soap. I hated coconuts.

"Gemma? Hurry, the food's getting cold." Kartik shouted through the locked door.

"Hold your horses." I said crankily. I stood up and dried myself. Had Kartik noticed any difference in Gemma's body yet? I mean, I walked with elegance, she was slightly clumsy. And I held my head up high with pride, she usually looked at the ground or at the person she was talking to.

"Alright, Kartik. Let's eat." I smiled as casually as I could. Kartik raised an eyebrow in confusion. But then he gave up on trying to figure out my mood. I sat down on a table in the kitchen with him. He had planned a great honeymoon place. It would be on an island. The island of Dubai actually. It was said to be very tropical and fresh there. So I agreed to go. Maybe some of the islanders would know how to rid of strange voices, well voices of Gemma, in my head.

"Gemma? Are you listening to me?" Kartik asked. He laughed as I snapped back to reality. I was imagining palm trees and large areas of water.

"Yes, I mean no. Sorry, what where you saying?" I asked sweetly. Kartik pulled me close to him. and just held me there. It felt nice to be so close to a real human again. But I couldn't help but notice how delicious his blood smelled to me right now.

"I was just saying how pretty you would look when you see your first palm tree. And I'm not about to miss that opportunity." Kartik grinned at me, and then he drew me even closer, which seemed impossible. And I couldn't help but feel jealous that Gemma has this beautiful boy all to herself. But now he was mine, as was the rest of the things Gemma had a claim on.

"I love you." Kartik whispered to me, even though there was no reason to be whispering.

"I love you, too." I lied. Did I think he was a very beautiful person? Yes. Was he near perfect? Of course. But did I love him? No. I had lost all sense of the true meaning of love.

Kartik lifted my chin up to face him. His face came close to mine. And then his lips touched mine. Softly at first, but in just a second it was very intense. His arms ran up and down my back as if they where designed to do so. And even my own hands curled into his hair and where pressed to him. My body curled over his, so he was almost bending back.

But then, the perfection of my first kiss in the mortal world ceased. I nearly wanted to cry. Why had he stopped?

"Sorry, Gem. I don't know why I stopped." Kartik said with confusion, and then he walked away. My face burned with anger.

"It's okay Kartik." I managed to reply.

I followed Kartik. He sat on the little swing outside. He sat with his eyes gazing far out through the farm.

"Are you alright, Kartik?" I asked, hoping he hadn't guessed about me yet. But he just nodded.

"It just felt different then before." Kartik said.

I took this as, 'I want you to leave'. So I left without another word.

I fluttered inside and went to my closet. I wanted to wear something better than this dumb morning gown. But then I remembered that Gemma must not have anything that I liked. She was at least four inches rounder that I was.

"Gemma, we're here! Look!" Kartik ushered me over to the edge of our boat. He pointed out for me the port of Dubai. It was night. But not too late in the night. It was about eight. I could see the giant skyscraper of a hotel we would stay in. It was not brightly decorated, or at least not right now.

"It's pretty." I said, mesmerized by the odd trees that filled up the front. The sand was a very light color. And the dock was full of people.

"Let's get our stuff and get ready to leave." Kartik said. I picked up my two bags for three weeks. It would be a pretty long honeymoon. And I didn't really mind. In fact, it would be a very good experience.

And luckily, Gemma would be there, watching everything through her own eyes being controlled by me, not being able to do a thing. I Smelled the fishy air through Gemma's nose. She smelled it too, but once again, she could not do anything.

"Over here, Gem!" Kartik shouted from the little plank that was laid down. The boat jumped as it hit the sand.

I scurried over to Kartik. And then I hopped off with the help of a seaman that stood nearby helping people get off the ship.

"Alright, that's our hotel, I guess. Let's go in." Kartik pulled me along to the main lobby of the skyscraper. It was a lot better decorated than the outside. The inside was a slightly gothic design. The walls where red, but no brick red, darker than brick red.

"Our room is number four hundred ten. That's at the top." Kartik smiled jogging up the steps two at a time.

"Slow down, please!" I pleaded, trying to be as fast as he was. Luckily, Gemma was a much faster runner than I used to be, so catching up with Kartik was not as bad as I thought it would be.

"Okay, into the room right here." Kartik said, he put his bags down and fumbled with the lock and key. Then he opened the door for me to go into.

"Thanks." I mumbled and carried three bags inside. only two where mine. The other two bags where thrown in by Kartik.

Kartik quickly changed into something better suited for tonight's activities. So did I. My chemise was nearly transparent. But what did I care? I mean, I wouldn't be in this for too long…


End file.
